Curragh report: Rarely can a team of classic horses have gone slower on a racecourse but after Aidan O'Brien worked his major hopes for 2006 after racing at the Curragh yesterday there was a general feeling of satisfaction among the Ballydoyle team with the Guineas meeting less than a month away.
The 2,000 Guineas favourite George Washington was the headline act among a group of classic hopes and although heavy ground ruled out any strenuous work-out the charismatic colt still managed to provide some excitement.
Europe's champion juvenile of last year proved reluctant to leave the parade ring and eventually had to be almost reversed on to the track. He then swerved dramatically on his way to the six furlong start and in comparison his actual canter under Kieren Fallon, accompanied by River Tiber, was rather mundane.
The Derby favourite Horatio Nelson, also ridden by Fallon, went slightly faster in a gallop with Augustus John, while Art Museum (Seamus Heffernan) looked to work lazily alongside Major Commitment.
Both 1,000 Guineas hopefuls, Rumplestiltskin and Race For The Stars, looked to go well, also over six furlongs.
"Everyone seems happy. The ground is very tacky so we didn't do much," said O'Brien who was unconcerned with George Washington's exuberance. "He was fresh and he's entitled to be fresh. He is never docile and is just a very energetic horse." O'Brien didn't rule a Guineas attempt out by Horatio Nelson and said: "It was a very straightforward piece of work and very professional."
The trainer also said either Benjamin Franklin or Pescatorio could run in next week's Wood Ditton Stakes at Newmarket.
Jim Bolger worked some horses and his Derby hope Heliostatic impressed enough for William Hill to cut his Epsom odds from 50 to 1 to 33 to 1.
In the actual racing, O'Brien's hope in the Castlemartin Stud Gladness Stakes, Ad Valorem, finished only sixth behind the 25 to 1 winner Common World. The Tom Hogan-trained horse was a popular success for jockey Fran Berry who was riding his first winner since being seriously injured in a fall at the track last August. The jockey in prolific form was Johnny Murtagh who recorded a treble highlighted by the Noel Meade-trained Arch Rebel in the Listed Alleged Stakes.
Rose Of Battle got the former champion jockey off the mark for the Irish season in the opening maiden and the ex-German Catch Me could now go for the Vintage Crop Stakes after defying topweight in the last.
The Irish 2,000 Guineas is the target for Decado who impressively landed the Listed Loughbrown Stakes by four lengths from Queen Cleopatra.
The Grand National hero Slippers Madden will be in action on the flat at Tramore this evening but it's over hurdles he looks to have his best chance with Copper Moon in the second maiden hurdle. Instead the opening mile and a half maiden could be best left to Johnny Murtagh who makes a rare visit to the track. Rossbeigh was placed twice at Salisbury and Windsor last year and can make a winning debut for trainer Pat Hughes.
